Carlisle

[Camino LS6]

It was fun: drove a new Camaro, walked many miles, now I'm tired.

[Camino LS6]

I'll post more details later along with some pics.

[Camino LS6]

I had a really good time at the show this year, but I'm really tired so I'll just give you some quick bullet points and post a few of my pics until tomorrow.

-Drove a new Camaro 1SS 6spd: reaction very favorable.

-Argued with GM engineers about fuel cell vs. I.C.E. : fun

-Saw SLP's amazing new supercharged Camaro prototype and shot the breeze with Dave and Ed Hamburger.

-Had a brief exchange with a very busy Fbodfather

-Saw more El Caminos than I've ever seen in one place before

- Found some potential items for my projects

-Walked the show for hours with Ocnblu

-Ran into my friend, Joe and shot the breeze with him

-Met up with the El Camino Central.com crowd

OK.

Pics:

Edited June 28, 2009 by Camino LS6

[Camino LS6]

Oh yeah, quite a few colonnade cars this year!

[ocnblu]

It certainly was a great day, the vehicles were great, the weather was fantastic and the Camaro Ride & Drive was entirely TOO DAMNED SHORT.

[Camino LS6]

...and one final point for the evening.

BV, you're a dweeb for not showing up!

Oh, and this:

[Intrepidation]

Looks like a blast. I can't wait until I go down there.

[ocnblu]

Yeah, Viper, this is for you for not showing up:

[ocnblu]

But Dodgefan, you picked the wrong weekend to go. All the COOL vehicles were there THIS weekend.

[Intrepidation]

But Dodgefan, you picked the wrong weekend to go. All the COOL vehicles were there THIS weekend.

No I most certainly picked the right weekend to go.

Too bad I couldn't do both though.

[z28luvr01]

I gotta get my butt to the GM Nats one of these years. I had three things potentially planned for today, and doing a charity 65 mile ride for diabetes research won out.

And I'm extremely jealous of you for sitting in a running SS Camaro, much less driving one.

[Camino LS6]

I gotta get my butt to the GM Nats one of these years. I had three things potentially planned for today, and doing a charity 65 mile ride for diabetes research won out.

And I'm extremely jealous of you for sitting in a running SS Camaro, much less driving one.

Yeah, but you sat in the ST!

I don't know if you can view this without registering, but it is more Camaro eye-candy.

http://chirpthird.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14229

[Intrepidation]

Man you guys are lucky. I would have loved to have given a Camaro a test, even if it was only for a bit.

Camino, I'm really digging that black El Camino, so clean, and the budging fenders look very sexy. Is that how they came from the factory?

[2005 EquinoxLS]

I believe that is how they came from GM. Thats a 1973-75. If you look at the 1976-77 above that one it too has those same fenders.

[Intrepidation]

I believe that is how they came from GM. Thats a 1973-75. If you look at the 1976-77 above that one it too has those same fenders.

Yeah I though so too, but somehow they don't look as accentuated. Maybe because it's all one color with no trim to disrupt the lines.

[ocnblu]

Yup, that deep, deep purple '75 has had many hundreds of hours of work done to get it in such perfect condition. I'll let Camino tell you more, he's familiar with the car.

[z28luvr01]

I think it's hot, too. It actually looks like it could be a black cherry pearl color, not unlike the color Chrysler used on the early LH cars. You can see that where the sun hits it on the right fender, it's purple.

[ocnblu]

That GMC Suburban is a real gem, as well. Huge V6 (GMC calling card of the era), originally a Powerglide truck converted to a TH350, it's a 2-door, with 3 rows of seats. AMAZINGLY preserved survivor, there was like no rust on this thing. Factory a/c. Garage-kept throughout its life.

[GMTruckGuy74]

That GMC Suburban is a real gem, as well. Huge V6 (GMC calling card of the era), originally a Powerglide truck converted to a TH350, it's a 2-door, with 3 rows of seats. AMAZINGLY preserved survivor, there was like no rust on this thing. Factory a/c. Garage-kept throughout its life.

Yeah, I drooled over that '66 GMC Suburban too It was a very nice survivor that could be used as a daily driver or be taken off the road and be fully restored.

The weather was very un-summer like in Carlisle. While sunny, bright, and warm in the sun, there was a nice breeze blowing all day that made it very comfortable (usually you sweat to death while walking around). If you walked into a vendors tent, or when the clouds covered the sun, you really felt the breeze and the coolness it brought. I've been to Carlisle since '98 and this is the first time I think I really enjoyed the weather there at a car show.

I took a lot of pictures, and it seems Camino and I have the same taste in cars as he posted many of the ones I took too. I'll wait to see what else is posted by Camino and anyone else before I post some of mine.

<begin rant> I must say that I was disappointed by the "Chevy Ride and Drive" event. I didn't get to test drive any of the cars and it was because of the age requirement they impose. Any passengers that ride along must be 12 years old; of course my son is 3. He really, really, really wanted to go for a ride in a Camaro (that's all I heard about all day - the new Camaros - once he saw so many of them there). I understand safety is their liability, so they have to safeguard themselves. But the fact is they are on private property - not busy streets with tons of commuters - and you drive basically under 20 MPH with a representative. I myself wanted to drive teh all new 2010 Equinox (a loaded LTZ V6 model), and my dad wanted to drive the new Camaro. My son was upset byt he fact he couldn't go along on the ride and I felt it was unfair for me to go ahead. If they (GM/Chevy) would have allowed him to ride provided I installed his booster seat, I would have walked all the way across the show fields, out Gate #7 to where I was parked, and would have gotten his car seat. But they don't even allow that. So needless to say, while Chevy hyped-up this feature of the show, me and my family (loyal GM owners for many years) were not allowed to particiapte <end rant>.

One final thought about the show... you could tell the economy took its toll on this show. While the show fields had tons of participants, the car coral area (cars & trucks for sale) was very empty compared to previous years and there were tons of vendors missing that are normally there - I noticed last year a lot of missing vendors too, and this year even more didn't show up. IMO, one whole aisle (with like 7/8 vendors) could have been merged with another aisle to save people from walking aimlessly. And there are some problems with the GTO crowd, as there was a back-up of cars tryingt o park because some pre-registered and others did not and they were fighting/arguing over parking spaces

All in all, it was a very good show and I saw tons of cars that I normally don't see. I think the GM Truck community needs to wake up and start attending this show - truck participation was lacking again (I've seen more GM trucks at the All-Truck Nationals there than I've ever seen at the All-GM Nationals!). This is one show I don't miss out on and I can't wait for next year's show!

[Camino LS6]

DF: As was said by Z and Ocn, that '75 Camino is as built as far as the body goes. But the car was a project of something like ten years and just finished late last year. Every detail has been given its due attention and the color is the deepest,darkest black cherry you'll ever see. The pic does not do it justice.

[Camino LS6]

Roger: Go ahead and post your pics, I may not get to the rest of mine for a while. I will be kinda busy today, and many of mine are caminos anyway. :AH-HA_wink:

Now I have to go take a look at a rare GMC...

[GMTruckGuy74]

Roger: Go ahead and post your pics, I may not get to the rest of mine for a while. I will be kinda busy today, and many of mine are caminos anyway. :AH-HA_wink:

Now I have to go take a look at a rare GMC...

Okay, you've piqued my interest with that statement right there (as you always do!)... you have to spill the beans - I demand it

[Camino LS6]

Post your pics first!

[GMTruckGuy74]

Camino, you're so mean to me! Making me wait to find out what rare GMC you've found. Let me get to work putting them on Photobucket right now.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Okay, here are some of my pictures:

Okay, I have more to post I promise... photobucket didn't want to load the 50 I chose all at one time, it picked these two and then froze. IU'm going back to load up more, a few at a time.

[Camino LS6]

OK.

I went to look at a '71 GMC Sprint today.

It was oddly equipped in that it had some items that should only have been on an SP (GMC's version of SS), yet it clearly isn't an SP.

What it is is a 350 with a three speed manual and an SP dash with a tach and a black steering column.

Odd and interesting, but likely too rusty to save. The owner plans to part it out.

I'll post a pic or two later.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Okay, here's more...

[Camino LS6]

Some of my other pics:

[GMTruckGuy74]

And more...

[GMTruckGuy74]

And more...

[GMTruckGuy74]

And more...

(Side Note - the rims above are Holden HSV, and I overheard the '08 G8 GT owner tell another guy that it cost him $2,100 to get those rims from Austrailia, which was the price of the rims alone <no tires> and shipping )

[GMTruckGuy74]

And more...

[Camino LS6]

[ocnblu]

It's hell to be poor.

[Camino LS6]

It's hell to be poor.

Sure is!

But then, if I had won the lottery or something, it would have taken forever to get my purchases home!

[GMTruckGuy74]

And more...

[GMTruckGuy74]

And more...

[ocnblu]

A lot of great pictures, guys. Thanks for the mammaries!

Did anyone get a picture of the slightly rough '65 Buick Sport Wagon with "Lambda Car Club" and rainbow stickers on the back? I was like "dude, I'll bet the vista roof panels are all caulked... every one of these is caulked for leaks!" Sure enough, an ancient bead of what appeared to be clear silicone was smeared along the edges of all the glass panels in the roof.

[Camino LS6]

No pics of that one, Ocn.

But I sure remember it!

[GMTruckGuy74]

And the final batch...

And here's two pictures from the top of the hill (where the rock climbing section is), giving you a somewhat overview of the show fields:

[ocnblu]

That orange SS/RS is the Camaro I drove. Hot!

[caddycruiser]

And more...

(Side Note - the rims above are Holden HSV, and I overheard the '08 G8 GT owner tell another guy that it cost him $2,100 to get those rims from Austrailia, which was the price of the rims alone <no tires> and shipping )

Ahh...my G8 forums brethren! I wanted to make it but before I could even have a chance, there was a big weekend work event coming up.

As for the black '08 GT, I know him well from the board, and those are the 2nd set of wheels he's had since the stock Sport GT 19's. The current ones are from WheelWorx in Oz, and the HSV variety, but with a special finish. There are a lot of HSV wheels you can get either like that or in GM original form, as Holden has so many different styles, and all around $2k for a full set. Not bad really, compared to some aftermarket stuff. It's great that there's such a following and SO many models of the VE/Commodore over in Oz, because almost everything for those works with our left drive G8's, and with the exchange rates and such is not expensive.

He also has the full on Pedders Track II suspension installed by the same guys who did mine last month, which fixed some stock issues and really gives it the damping and control the Zeta is really made to have. Well, among his many other mods. Once mine is GXP nose converted soon, my new dampers finally in with the drop springs, among other things to keep me entertained, I need to get it "out there" more.

If only I could have made it...darn. If I ever move back to PA, for the sake of a career change before long, perhaps it will be easier.

Edited June 29, 2009 by caddycruiser

[GMTruckGuy74]

caddycruiser, if I was able to make the 2:05 hour trip out west from southern NJ, you could have made it from DE (well, if work wasn't in the way! ) It was definitely a good show day. There's always next year, and I think we need to make it an official C&G Meet to boot.

[ocnblu]

HA! I just realized you can see Camino and me reflected in the spotless chrome bumper of the green '53 Chevy 2-door. It's like a funhouse mirror.

[capriceman]

the red toro is to die for.

[GMTruckGuy74]

HA! I just realized you can see Camino and me reflected in the spotless chrome bumper of the green '53 Chevy 2-door. It's like a funhouse mirror.

So, what did you buy? (I'm assuming that's a shopping bag by your foot)

[ocnblu]

A grayish-blue GM Nationals t-shirt! What did you guys come home with?

[caddycruiser]

caddycruiser, if I was able to make the 2:05 hour trip out west from southern NJ, you could have made it from DE (well, if work wasn't in the way! ) It was definitely a good show day. There's always next year, and I think we need to make it an official C&G Meet to boot.

Absolutely agreed, you know, if I wasn't working a sales event literally from 9am until 9pm yesterday!

That said, thanks for the great G8 shots...I'll be in a row like that somewhere, someday especially with the way my mod list has grown in 3 months :AH-HA_wink:

[Camino LS6]

I came home with two sizes of center cap for the wagon - both are too big.

Otherwise, nuthin.

[Z-06]

Great pics guys.

Both the blue and black Chevy pickups are pristine.

What is special about that white GMT 800 GMC single cab?

:useless: of Members.